Pillars of Internet Independence

On Monday morning, just after I had written my first email to you, my friend Matt asked me to help out a subscriber on his website who was interested in getting started online.

I reviewed my notes, going over dozens of OSP newsletters and my OSP e-book, and I came up with what I call…

My “10 Pillars for Internet Independence”

If you follow these 10 principles, none of which involve any sneaky SEO or expensive pay per click tricks, I guarantee that you’ll be able to build a strong business and powerful connection with your readers – and ultimately, the lifestyle you deserve.

Pillar #1 – Ruthless Time & Energy Management

When I was a full-time personal trainer working on my internet business, I would get up at 4:30am to work for 20 minute before
heading to my first 6am client.

And in those focused 20 minutes, I was able to get 2 hours of work done.

With an internet business, where people work at home/on their own schedule, people can have amazing ideas, PPC skills, great copywriting ability, etc., but if they can’t implement, take action, and get the work done, they’ll still struggle.

That’s why ruthless time & energy management is my first pillar. You’ll need to learn to organize, prioritize, stick to deadlines,
fight against email, and delegate the simple tasks.

Here’s a great line I read from my favorite small business mentor, Dan Kennedy: “Always ask yourself ‘where’s the profit in this’?” For example, there are times I’ve read article on a blog and then I spend 10 minutes reading the comments. There is no profit in that. So I need to stay focused. You’ll need that too, and you must always be asking yourself that question.

Great resources: Dan Kennedy’s books, “Ruthless Management of People and Profits” and “No BS Time Management” (all his books are worth getting).

Pillar #2 – Value Creation

Just yesterday I received a newsletter from Dan Kennedy where he summed it up perfectly:

“It is infinitely easier to become a millionaire by becoming the kind of person deserved of being a millionaire and likely to sustain being a millionaire, than it is to pursue just the million dollars.”

Discover your Unique Ability (read Dan Sullivan’s books for more about this) and create value for the world.

Pillar #3 – Passion plus Products plus Personality = Profit

People buy from people they know, like and trust. They want to do business with someone who has a personality they connect with. People follow people that are passionate about their subject.

And being able to create more products allows you to create more value for current clients and offers a new avenue to get additional clients into your business.

Pillar #4 – Have a BIG IDEA that serves a hungry niche market

Almost all markets are crowded, but that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed.

You will need to create something that has a unique hook, something that allows you to stand out from the others in your marketplace.

That’s why it’s so important, as a friend said, to “FOCUS on on thing that interests you or that you can really get passionate about. If you don’t LOVE what you are marketing, then you’ll quickly get bored and quit.”

The entire process won’t be easy…it’s relatively simple, but not easy. And if people don’t love their chosen topic, they tend to quit when things get tough.

Pillar #5 – 1000 Customers gives you $100,000 per year

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a million clients to create a 6-figure income. Resource: Kevin Kelly’s essay on 1000 True Fans

If you have 1000 clients per year at $100, that’s $100K. Now it’s easier to repeat sell to clients (i.e. a membership site like this
one) than to get 1000 new clients every year, so consider that as you plan your business.

I have tried serving the market, i am not sure what i am doing wrong…but i am still struggling; not making a lot of sales…

Anonymous

Mohammed,

I checked out your site.

It is all over the place. There is no personality. I don’t know what you are trying to offer. There is no mission. There is no focus. My “scam alert” mindset kicks into high gear. There is no trust established.

Listen, it would be nice if all we had to do was take a few videos off youtube, post them on a blog, and profit. But it doesn’t work that way for 99.9% of the website online.

I highly recommend you review the 12 Months to $100K blog series. Your answers are in there.

I am now rolling up the sleeves… I have been keeping your mails in a folder and will now start to make time to read…. don’t have a lot of time however, and a much better use of it would be to target specifics.. I have a small team in place (moving fairly soon and will be able to face-to-face… for now, Skype communication) and we are part-timing for now… however, deep focussed study over a short period might be beneficial for me personally, as the learning curve looks daunting… do you provide one to one services? thanks!

Anonymous

No, one-to-one coaching is not something I do. Sorry.

Ken

Thanks for the wisdom of the first five pillars. When do you expect to post the other five?

Anonymous

There’s a link in the original post to the next 5. They were posted the next day.

I’m in the beginning of creating an e book. I don’t really understand the back end sale or how to create one.Should i have more than one product? Or an abbreviated less concise version of my product then have a bigger back end offering that provides more detail. I bought your Turbulence training a while back and don’t remember the back end offer and how it works. Can you break it down for me for some ideas?

About ETR

Early To Rise delivers science-based systems and structures to help people achieve a higher level of performance. We share proven strategies for success and help our readers steer clear of fads, gimmicks, and frauds. This ensures a win-win relationship between our readers and ETR, and creates faster results for everyone.